Paul

People who have read my postings know that I am a sucker for animals. I have a 5 pound pomerian, 2 cats, and 2 birds a talkative ****ateil and a shy senegal parrot. The birds are new to me this past year and I love them as much as the rest of my animal family. I've tossed back and forth between adding to my "babies". In fact at one time I had told my local pet store to be on the look out for a baby african grey parrot. I had decided that the grey would be my last addition. Then recently I thought that maybe what I had was enough and said no i'm not going to get the grey. i'm going to enjoy the little fury feathery family that i had. no more adoptions! Then I went into my pet store. this past wednesday i was going in to tell her not to look any longer for that baby grey that i wasn't going to get one. Then what do i see the minute i walk in??? not a baby but a 9 year old wonderfully handsome male grey named Paul! He is awesome! So regal! he looked scared. at 9 years old he's been with a family for a while. greys are birds who have the intelligence of a 4 year old child. they can have conversations with you and know what you are saying. very intelligent birds. he looked terrified. probably wondering where his family was. why was he there? why had they left him. He didn't understand that his family couldn't take care of him any longer. he just missed them and was scared. They are timid birds. he shook. and sat on his perch. i had a baggie of grapes in my pocket. always ready in case my blood sugar drops and i stook next to his cage to share them with him. they told me that he was scared that his origianl owner had dropped him off the night before. she couldn't stop crying as she left him but could no longer take care of him. you could tell he was trying so hard to stay in control. his head up and watching the door maybe for her to return. i offered him a grape. he wanted that grape but was afraid to come closer. i gave one of the grapes to Owen one of the BIG macaws they have. Owen intimadtes me he is VERY big and has a beak the size of a huge angry dog. maybe a lion. he's sweet but it doens't matter with that beak the only time i go near him is when he is in his cage. owen gently took the grape. AFter feeding Owen several of the grapes Paul felt alittle bit better abotu stretching his neck out to grab one of the grapes. it took a while but eventually he let me scratch his neck and head. before i left he sat on my arm. he shook all while he was there but he did it. i guess you know where this is headed. yup he's now my bird! he is still very frightened and needs to relax with me. to take him from the pet store right now would be cruel. he needs to feel comfortable with me as much as i need to with him. so i am visiting the pet store in the mornings and after work bringing grapes for everyone! the staff won't feed him any grapes that way he will associate that treat with me. greys aren't like having any other type of bird. while all my animals are family members to me greys really do need to be treated differently. i'm so thrilled to have the chance to add him tomy family. i had wanted a baby one but i think that Paul was ment to come home with me. this is it no more animals!

That is too cool!! I am a sucker for animals as well & miss mine terribly. They are still in AZ and will be taken care of by my Ex's brother, who I met recently & hit it off famously. (Just in the beginning stages of the relationship or friendship not sure where it is going, either.) But with him having my dogs that could change things for the better very soon. Read one of my earlier posts & this will all make sense. I bet you have that bird home with you very soon. Take care & it is good to see you back on this board. Marilyn, the Bearlady

Paul is one lucky bird! Glad you're back. M.

pammie...you are so wonderful to accept paul into your flock...it will take time for him --and you have summed up so well where his "head'is--they DO feel and i am sure he is looking for his momma and family...my hubby did rescue for years and the 3 macaws that we have were his rescues- well- what's left of them- he placed all of the others! take your time with paul and love him- he will love you as well!he can tell you're gonna be "his"!

OH Pammy!!! Lucky you!!! I ALWAYS wanted an African grey in fact... yesterday and the day before we (my son and I) went on youtube and watched all the african grey parrots talk. My husband is portugese and we found this one video of this portugese talking bird. Well my son and I were cracking up (hes 8) and my husband started laughing because the bird was cursing up a storm in portugese and the funnies part was that the bird must've belonged to some old cranky old man who smoked because the grey constantly cursed and made this exagerrated smokers cought PERFECTLY it was the funnies damn thing! I LOVE them! My heart was just breaking reading your story, i feel so bad for Paul and the old owner. I don't know how she could have given him up. I do have a question for you... do the cats bother the birds? I mean I have 2 cats and just think .. no WAY could i get a parrot because they might hurt the parrot. They so love birds... know what i mean... although I know parrots have them beaks... it just scares me still and i think its not possible... but is it? HOw do your cats act with your birds... when you got them? Elizabeth M

I have a friend who has both birds and cats .. the birds attack the cats ... not the other way around ... Hugs, Mo